Chapter 92
*Door shut*
*Silence*
*Exhaled*
"What have I done…"
I closed my eyes briefly. A wave of exhaustion washed over me after everything that had just happened.
Once again… I let my temper get the better of me.
This isn't how I imagined the night would go.
I had promised myself I would hold back and not show him this side of me again, at least until the cooling period was over. And now I had just given him even more reason not to reconsider his decision to divorce.
*Sigh*
By now, he must be even more afraid of me.
I didn't want to force him.
But it seems I might have to play dirty again to keep him from leaving.
I began walking toward the elevator. However, just as I reached it, the doors suddenly opened before I could press the button.
It was Harin.
She stepped out hurriedly, then froze the moment she saw me standing there.
"Chairwoman."
I looked at her calmly.
"Didn't I tell you that you didn't need to return to the office today?"
Harin hesitated. "I… I came back because I was worried. About the news."
A faint smile curved my lips.
"Drop the act, Harin."
"You came because you were afraid I might do something to my husband, didn't you?"
Her expression stiffened immediately, and the hallway fell quiet for a moment.
I tilted my head slightly.
"What would you have done," I asked softly, "if I already did something to him?"
Her eyes widened.
"Chairwoman… don't tell me you—"
I cut her off with a single look.
"You saw it, didn't you?" My voice turned colder. "You saw they went out yesterday, and yet you chose not to tell me."
Harin lowered her gaze.
"…I'm sorry."
"You really disappointed me, Harin." I watched her quietly. "If you won't even tell me something like this, I wonder what else you've been hiding from me."
Her hands tightened slightly at her sides.
"Chairwoman… Mr. Kim deserves to live his life the way he wants. We… we cannot keep deciding everything for him anymore. Perhaps it is time to let him choose what he believes is best for himself."
I let out a short, humorless laugh.
"So you have become his spokesman now, Harin? Have you forgotten who you work for?"
I took a small step closer.
"Tell me, Harin… do you work for me, or for Haemin?"
She said nothing, only lowering her eyes further.
"Only I can decide what is best for him. Do you get that? Don't overstep your boundaries, Harin."
I could see the frustration on her face, but she did not argue.
For a moment, I simply watched her, then exhaled slowly again. Perhaps I had been too harsh. After all, Harin had always been loyal to me.
I rubbed my temple briefly before speaking again.
"Go home, Harin. I don't want Haemin to see me scolding you like this when he comes out."
"But Chairwoman…"
Harin hesitated. Her eyes flicked briefly toward the office door behind me.
"What? You didn't think I would allow you to talk to my husband, did you?"
Her lips parted slightly but after a brief pause, she nodded. "…Understood."
She turned to leave.
"And Harin."
She stopped.
"Tomorrow, I want you to contact Daehan headquarters. Ask them whether the proposal is ready."
"Yes, Chairwoman."
"If it is ready, I want to meet Sera here in two days. And if it is not, tell them to forget about the collaboration entirely. I will not entertain them any longer."
"…Understood."
Harin bowed once before stepping back into the elevator. The doors closed, and it descended, taking her down and leaving me behind.
_____
*The car door opened*
A quiet breath escaped my lips as I leaned back against the seat.
Fortunately, I managed to send Harin away. Otherwise, it would have been too much of a hassle to explain what I'd been doing to Haemin.
I rested my head against the seat and stared ahead through the windshield.
Now there was another problem to deal with.
The news about Haemin and Sera.
Some of the board members would definitely not be happy about it. If they saw those pictures, they might think Haemin was sent by Sera to stay close to me. They might even start seeing him as a traitor.
Just the thought alone made my jaw tighten slightly.
It didn't take long before it happened. My phone had just started ringing. Several directors names already appeared on the screen.
They must have already seen the news.
I ignored the calls entirely and placed the phone down on the console. I would deal with the misunderstanding tomorrow. Tonight… I'm just not in the mood for anything.
My eyes drifted to the clock on the dashboard.
It's already 10:30 p.m.
Why isn't Haemin here yet?
A faint unease crept into my chest. Don't tell me he…
I didn't wait any longer.
I pushed the car door open and stepped out, quickly heading back toward my office. My heels echoed sharply against the floor as I hurried inside.
But the moment I got there… Haemin was nowhere in sight.
I stopped.
My gaze swept across the room. He was really gone.
I clicked my tongue in irritation.
So he really dared to ignore me and walk away. Why does he always make things so hard for me when I was just about to make things right with him?
By now he must have already left the building.
*Thunder*
I glanced toward the window. Outside, rain had already begun to fall. Water streaked down the glass, distorting the lights of Seoul's city.
For a moment, I just stood there.
Then I turned and headed back toward the parking level.
I got into the car and started the engine immediately.
"Haemin, you're really asking for it…"
The wipers began sweeping across the windshield as I drove out of the building and onto the main road.
The rain had grown heavier, the streets shining under the streetlights. Cars moved slowly through the wet night, their headlights reflecting off the soaked asphalt.
I drove along the road I believed Haemin would take to get home.
The rain kept falling.
My fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel.
Surely he wouldn't be foolish enough to walk all the way home in this weather, right?
Then—
Through the blurred windshield, I saw a small figure ahead. Walking slowly along the sidewalk.
My breath caught.
It was him.
Haemin walked with his head lowered, his steps slow under the rain. His clothes were already soaked through, clinging to his frame as water ran down his hair.
Passersby had already started staring at him, probably wondering why he was walking in the rain.
I slowed the car immediately and pulled over to the curb beside him.
Without wasting a second, I grabbed the umbrella from the passenger seat and rushed out into the rain.
"Haemin!"
I ran toward him and grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing?!"
He didn't even turn his head.
He simply pulled his arm away from my hand, brushing it off weakly before continuing to walk.
My chest tightened.
"Haemin, stop."
I reached for him again and grabbed his arm more firmly.
"Haemin!"
"Let me go!" he shouted suddenly.
The sound startled me a little, but I didn't let go of him.
His voice was rough and weak, like he'd been crying too much.
"Let go of my hand!"
He jerked his arm away again, and his hand accidentally struck the umbrella I was holding. The umbrella slipped from my fingers and fell to the ground.
The rain poured down on me now.
Water soaked through my clothes within seconds, running down my face and hair.
Haemin simply stood there for a moment, breathing unevenly, rain mixing with the tears still clinging to his face. His eyes were swollen and red, his hair sticking messily to his forehead.
Then he turned to walk away again, but I caught his arm for the second time and forced him into my embrace. Our bodies met, my arm locking tightly around him as he tilted his head up to meet my eyes.
"I said let me go," he said quietly, finally looking at me.
Rain poured heavily over both of us.
"Get in the car, Haemin," I said firmly. "Can't you see it's raining? Do you want to get sick walking under this weather? What were you thinking?"
He looked at me with tired eyes.
"Why would that concern you, Yuna? And why should I listen to you? We're already outside working hours, aren't we?"
His lips curved into a faint, bitter smile.
"And besides… you wouldn't want this "slut" to stain your car."
He tried to pull his arm away again, but I tightened my hold, refusing to let him go.
"So that's what this is all about, Haemin? Okay, I'm sorry for calling you that. If that's what you want to hear from me. Satisfied? Now stop making a scene. Let's get in the car, alright?"
"Get your hands off me."
He tried to wrench his arm free again.
"Is that still not enough?" I said, my tone hardening. "Get in the car, Haemin. You can tell me what else you're upset about with me once we're inside."
I glanced around the street.
A few pedestrians had slowed down. Some were already stopping nearby, watching the scene unfold. These people, can't they just mind their own business?
I needed to control the situation calmly and quickly get Haemin out of here before they recognized who I was.
Haemin must have noticed my brief glance at the surroundings.
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"You're afraid people will see us like this?" he said softly.
He looked straight at me.
"Please let me go, Yuna."
He struggled again, trying to pull himself away from me, but I tightened my hold instinctively, fingers digging into his forearms.
"What's gotten into you all of a sudden, Haemin?" I said, my patience thinning. "Don't you have any shame left? People are staring at us right now. Calm yourself down. We can talk this out."
"Talk this out?" he repeated bitterly. "Did you ever want to listen when I told you I didn't do it? Instead, you used that as an excuse to do whatever you wanted to me. And now you had the nerve to act like nothing ever happened."
Rain ran down his face as he stared at me. His voice shook slightly.
"You never cared about my feelings at all. All this time, it's always been about you. Always. And I'm so damn stupid, Yuna… to still love you, even after everything you've done to me. Even while we're going through a divorce right now, there was still a tiny part of me hoping you would change."
His eyes lowered briefly.
"But you proved me right every single time, that I'm not worth the effort."
A small sob escaped him before he could stop it.
"Haemin… let's talk inside, alright?" I said quietly. "I will apologize to you properly. I will listen to whatever you want to say—"
"Let me go."
He cut me off.
"Let me go right now," he repeated, his voice trembling, "if you don't want me to start yelling out loud and embarrass you."
"Haemin—"
"LET ME GO!"
The sudden shout startled me. My fingers loosened on reflex.
I hadn't expected him to actually raise his voice.
People nearby turned their heads immediately. A few had already slowed down, clearly watching us now.
The moment my hold slipped, he stepped away from me. His chest rose and fell hard, tears shone on his cheeks.
I had no choice but to let him go. Too many eyes on us now.
Haemin looked at me one last time.
Rain continued pouring between us.
"Just go home, Yuna," he said quietly. "Leave me alone."
His voice sounded exhausted.
"I don't want to remember anything about what you did tonight."
"And listen carefully."
His gaze hardened.
"If you ever do something like that to me again… I won't protect you anymore. I will expose everything you've been doing to me all this time."
"Haemin…"
Haemin didn't bother answering. He had already turned his back on me and walked away.